#zonder

His name is Zonder, and he looks like a very good boy.

Here’s this week’s monsterpost, Liches! Warning, spooky alert.

A few facts about them:

-Liches are considered monsters, though they are not born from the World normally. They are (usually) Human sorcerers whose quest for the Truth of the World has led them to the conclusion that they must forgo their flesh in order to complete their study. Thus, they undergo a series of rituals in order to become undead.

-The Universe which contains the Worlds of Light and Dark is governed by three divine axes of Essence which exist as continuums: Light to Dark, Order to Chaos, and Life to Death. Everything which exists in this Universe lies somewhere in the matrix of these three scales of Essence.

-The Essence of Humans lies in the middle of the axis of Order and Chaos and the middle of the axis of Light and Dark, though, being living creatures, are high in Life Essence and thus low in Death Essence.

-Therefore, to become a Lich, a sorcerer must first tear their Soul from their body and place it safely in a jewel or some kind of holding jar. Then, they painstakingly and agonizingly turn the Life in their body into Death. This process takes many days of unbearable pain, requiring the mage meditate and take breaks regularly. Once the last shred of Life has soured into a thick ink of unblinking void, the undead mage will methodically peel their bloated, rotten flesh from their immortal bones and be born anew: an unholy slight against God whose eyes eternally burn with a hatred for Life itself.

-Humans who wish to become Liches typically make their pilgrimage to the World of Dark, in order to perform their transformation away from the prying eyes of Gods and Celestials. Once they become undead, they will go about building their towers or fortresses and raising an army of skeletons, ghouls, and other servants to aid them.

-The Lich’s tower is the symbol of their power over Life, as well as their house of study and worship of the darker aspects of reality. It also serves as a bastion against those who would see them destroyed, and their headquarters and places of business with those they ally themselves with. Other monsters typically don’t regard Liches with any more worry than your average monster, though Vampires don’t seem to mind them and Lycanthropes detest them.

-Because the Lich’s Soul exists outside their body, physically destroying them will only force them to possess another viable body. Any body nearby their Soul’s container, living or dead, will do. Should they possess a living host and dominate their will, the body will slowly decay and rot from the intrusion of such a dark being, until the host is killed. Then the Lich will “clean” themselves and carry on. Destruction of the Lich’s Soul vessel is the only means of true purification of the creature from the World.

-In ancient times, before the First Crusade, Liches were regarded as Great Monsters, along with Vampires, Lycanthropes, and Devils. These four races fought continuously over territory, resources, and the right to rule. It wasn't until the Crusade and the emergence of the Elder Vampires from their slumber that Liches were forced to bend to the King of Night. Now, with their towers seized by the crown, their armies pressed into service, and their magics stymied, Liches are a shadow of their former glory. Should one visit the Castle of Night, you might find a pair of Lich brothers working as head librarians in the Royal Library. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

-However, some say they bide their time, their plans and desires festering in the dark. Being the only truly immortal creatures outside of Godhood, they have all the time in the World to let these and other injustices against them crumble to dust and fade away, the fate of all that which clings desperately to the weakness of Life.

That’s it for this week! Next week is an Elder Vampire extravaganza! I’ve got three posts planned for that one, so watch out for it. We’re almost done with the World of Dark, and I can’t wait to get to the World of Light next!

I want to thank those of you who have been sticking around for these posts, even if you might not like them. If you do like what I’m doing, though, make sure to leave some feedback or any questions you might have, so I know how you all feel about my work.

Here’s part one of this week’s monsterpost extravaganza on Elder Vampires! This time we’re taking a look at Helen Minerva la Varr, Heir Apparent to the Throne of Night, and Princess of All Monsters. We’ll go over what Elder Vampires are, their history, and their eventual fate. Then, we’ll talk about Helen, her past, how she met up with Alles, and how they saved the Universe together.

Let’s get into it!

About Elder Vampire History:

-Elder Vampires, also known as Shadow Vampires, Shadow Faeries, Dark Ones, or Dark Celestials, are a race of humanoid monsters that were once considered a myth. A legend told among the Great Monster races in times of old tells of the First Monsters, the progenitors of all life in the World of Dark, who had made a pact with The Beast, the Primordial Darkness that sleeps at the heart of the World. In exchange for their souls and eternal servitude, they were given the power to shape the World in their image, immortality, and mastery over everything the Light did not touch. From them, the legend says, all natural monster races were born. They forged the World from shadow, dredged mountains from below the Dark Sea, and hammered the Plains of Ugain flat. They spoke with the syllables of Royalty and their words became Law. They sang the song of Life and from their lips sprang the animals and nature spirits. With their last command, they gave the monster races Essence. When they saw that their work was done, they retreated into Heart of the World, the Pit of The Beast, to sleep and wait. When the balance of the Universe is threatened, they will be reborn to protect their creations and lead Monsterkind to salvation.

-Most thought the legend was a pretty little tale to tuck children in bed and wish them sweet dreams. However, when the armies of the First Crusade marched on the World of Dark, slaughtering hundreds of millions with cruel efficiency and holy purpose, it was thought monsters would be exterminated. Some turned to religion, others to despair, while some relied on the old legends as a kind of prophecy. When things were at their worst, four monster Heroes journeyed to the Heart of the World to find help. The Matriarch of the Lycanthrope tribe, the Sorcerer King of the Liches, a wandering Vampire swordmaster, and the Empress of the Devils each put aside their differences and set out for the Heart.

-They journeyed far into the northern mountains, fighting against the mindless monsters that lived there, and found the entrance to the Beast’s lair. Within, they found a deep complex of temples and, eventually, the Pit. They met the Beast and begged It for help against the invaders. The Beast agreed to help in exchange for their souls. Seeing no other alternative, the Heroes agreed. They were told that the First Monsters still lived within the temple complex and the Beast would send the most powerful among them, the Avatar of Primordial Darkness, to aid them. They were introduced and the Avatar, having learned of the situation, proposed an alliance among monsters, under the Avatar as a regent or King.

-Emerging from the Heart of the World with the Avatar, the four Heroes went to their tribes and tried to convince them to form this new Kingdom, but only the Vampire and Lycanthrope tribes agreed. Under the new King of Night, the newly formed Kingdom of Night set out to reign in the other monster races and capture their lands, if only to have a foothold and sizable army against the Crusaders. The Devil Empress was overthrown and the Liches’ towers were seized, holding their Soul Jewels as ransom. With the combined forces of Vampires, Devils, Lycanthropes, Demons, Undead, and the newly awoken First Monsters, the Army of Darkness pushed back the Crusaders and survived.

-The other monster races, learning of the existence of these “First Monsters”, asked much of them, but they knew nothing other than their subservience to the Primordial Darkness and their right to Rule. It was known that the First Monsters were much like Vampires and had fangs. Thus, they were (incorrectly) called “Elder Vampires”, and the name stuck ever since.

About Elder Vampires:

-Elder Vampires are the race of monster from which some other monster races are descended from, and thus share many of the same powers and abilities. They can move and fly like Vampires, faster than the eye can see, though Elder Vampires are even faster and can teleport as far as they can see, rather than just short distances. They have superhuman strength and toughness and can regenerate like Vampires, Demons, and Lycanthropes. However, their regeneration has no limit. They must be completely vaporized to be truly killed.

-Like most other monsters, Elder Vampires are living creatures and procreate through sexual reproduction. Their powerful genes are considered dominant, which allows them to have Elder Vampire children with other monster races, though this has happened very rarely. There has even been one child born of an Elder Vampire father and a Human mother.

-Unlike other monsters, though, Elder Vampires cast a terrible Shadow, which they can control as an extension of their body. With their mastery over darkness, they can control others through their shadow, summon familiars, create small items, weapons, and clothing, form walls and barriers, create elaborate illusions, hide inside their shadow or the shadows of others, and move from any place with a shadow to any other place in the World where darkness exists.

-Elder Vampires, by their very nature, have a connection with the Primordial Darkness at the Heart of the World. This connection is all they need for sustenance and thus have no need for food, drink, blood, or essence, though they have the power to consume these things like other monsters can and do on occasion. They can also draw out their oneness with the Beast and use one of Its aspects. This can take the form of shape-shifting, impervious dark fur, and the power to eclipse light and swallow it, among other powers, though the most common aspect they call upon is the Beast’s own natural weapons: the Claws of Madness.

-A Claw of Madness is a conceptual weapon, formed as the intersection of the concepts of 「Chaos」, 「Darkness」, and 「Cutting」and taking the shape of a cruel, bestial claw. The claw, being an aspect of the Beast, contains one of Its eyes, and is covered in Its indestructible fur. While this eye may seem like a weakpoint, it is actually the most resilient part of the claw and can absorb any and all energy that it touches, making the claw an excellent shield as well as a weapon.

-While the nature of conceptual weapons is shrouded in mystery and esoterica, they can be understood at a very basic level. A conceptual weapon is made of ideas, or 「Concepts」, much like how a mundane sword is made of iron. Since the iron sword is made of mundane materials, it can cut mundane things. However, if that sword is imbued with the very idea of「Cutting」, it is permitted to cut anything, since that is its nature. This allows conceptual weapons to influence immaterial things, like “Law” or “Space”, since concepts can interact with other concepts. In a sense, they are the most powerful form of weaponry, but require a certain level of understanding of the imbued concept for the weapon to have full effect. If two conceptual weapons were to clash, the more pivotal concept to the nature of reality always wins. If the concepts are equal and opposite or the same, the wielder with more understanding wins. If both concepts and wielders are equal, it is not known what might happen. Some scholars theorize that the Universe might shatter, others say the Universe might make it so the event never occurred by rewriting time, though this is just idle speculation since such a thing has never happened.

-Since the Claw of Madness is imbued with the concept of 「Cutting」, it can cut through anything. Obviously, this makes the claw extremely deadly as a weapon, since it ignores armor, shields, or natural and magical defenses. Especially skilled and understanding wielders of the Claw may even cut through ideas like Time, Space, or other immaterial things, though this, mysteriously, has never happened.

-Besides these powers and abilities, Elder Vampires live to be over 1000 years old. Theoretically, they are immortal, though this has, so far, not been confirmed since they haven’t been around long enough to check. Should an Elder Vampire ever actually be killed, they can be reincarnated in the Pit of the Beast, at the discretion of the Primordial Darkness. It typically takes one week for an Elder Vampire to be reborn after they are vaporized, though this may vary if the Beast decides to make modifications to their Essence or keep them for later rebirth.

-Taking all of these things together make Elder Vampires out to be beings of terrifying power and it makes sense that they have always been the Rulers of Monsterkind since the First Crusade. Humans or Celestials who cannot wield Concepts or cannot wield conceptual weapons are advised to RUN AWAY.

The Fate of the Elder Vampires:

-Since the end of the First Crusade, there had been continual infighting among the Royal Family of Elder Vampires. In the centuries that the King reigned, the old covenant with the Beast had been forgotten and the ways of the First Monsters were mostly lost, but some shreds of the old ways remained. By the Pact of Blood Moon, monsters were forbidden from killing each other, though there was an exception: monsters could kill each other in official duels. By this rule, it was decided that whoever wanted to be King of Night could claim the Throne by issuing a challenge to the Ruling King and striking them down in single combat. 

-Thus, many monsters challenged the Crown, but the Avatar of Primordial Darkness always won. That is, until he was finally slain by four Celestials each wielding Fused Light swords. In his hubris, the first King of Night never had bodyguards or scouts to watch out for potential assassins. The four Paladins skewered the King, hacked him to pieces, and severed his head. Remembering how Elder Vampires could return from the dead endlessly if they were slain, the angels took the King’s head and sealed it in a box forged of Fused Light. When the King’s entourage caught up, the Celestials had disappeared, head and all.

-Thus, the first King’s oldest child became King. The second King of Night was not as splendid or powerful as his predecessor, garnering scorn for his weakness. The second King reigned for a scant 50 years, all the while tensions between the great monster races flared and threats of revolt and revolution were openly considered. Seeing the cracks in the Kingdom spreading and fearing another Crusade, the middle child of the Second King of Night, Vincent, went to commune with the Beast.

-He met with the Primordial Darkness and made a new pact, drinking from the Ancient Shadow and becoming the new Avatar of Primordial Darkness. The Beast told Vincent that to be King, he would need to slay his brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Once his whole family was dead by his hand, then Vincent must challenge the King to a duel and win. Vincent accepted the terms, with great sorrow in his heart. Vincent returned to the castle and set about murdering his whole family, which was no small feat. Then, he challenged his grieving father to a duel. The broken King only fell at his son’s mercy and died on the spot. Thus, Vincent became the third King of Night and the last living Elder Vampire.

About Helen

-Helen Minerva la Varr is the only child of Vincent and Olivia la Varr, making her half Elder Vampire and half Human. She is the only child of the King of Night, making her the Heir Apparent to the Throne of Night and a Princess of All Monsters. Helen was born on the first day of the Second Crusade, 18 years ago. Shortly after she was born, her mother died of complications due to childbirth, a fact which still weighs heavily on her.

-Helen’s childhood was mostly peaceful, playing among the Court and frolicking like a child. That is, until she turned 5 years old. On her fifth birthday, Helen was taken to the dungeons where she lived out the next five years of her life. Her father would routinely come to beat her, torture her, and starve her in an extreme form of “stress training”. Her Elder Vampire powers eventually came to her, regenerating her wounds and warding off her hunger, but that only gave her father permission to use even more outrageous and disturbing forms of punishment. She was mutilated, flayed, and burned alive. Her joints were pried apart with iron rods and her skeleton was wired into a torture chair. She regenerated every time.

-When she was 10 years old, Helen found the strength to tear herself from her chair, joint by joint, bone by agonizing bone until she was free. When she left the dungeon, emaciated, insane, and rabid, she had only one thought in her head: kill Vincent la Varr. Naked and insane, Helen was found by Rahovart, who cared for her and nursed her broken mind back to sanity. Since then, Helen’s only goal in life has been to kill her father and get revenge for her ruined childhood.

-In her quest to kill her father, she had learned the powers of Elder Vampires and had found no way to actually force her father to stay dead, should she ever actually kill him. This wish, for something considered impossible by the Universe, was strong enough to grant her Soul passage to Zonder, the World of Dreams.

-Once she returned from the World of Dreams, Helen made many friends among members of the Court. Many regard her as a true heir to the Throne and she is well respected. After growing up some, and taking inspiration from Rahovart. Helen became much more kind-hearted and compassionate towards her fellow monster, leading her to act as an arbiter in disputes and caring for members of the Court when they are feeling down, which has solidified her as universally loved amongst monsters.

-Besides her deep-seated hatred for her father, Helen has quite a few hobbies. She has become enamored with machines and technology from the World of Light, as well as learning about their culture, music, philosophy, and legends. She had begged travelers to the World of Light to bring her back something new so often, many just send her any new books, trinkets, or machine parts they come across as a routine. Helen spends most of her time reading books, tinkering with machines, or sparring with her friends and honing her Elder Vampire powers.

Helen and Zonder:

-A World of Light, a World of Dark, and in the void between lay a World of Dreams, Zonder. Here was sealed the power of Magic, shattered into eight pieces and defended by eight protectors. Before Helen and Alles set foot in this mythical World, the Universe was devoid of Magic and, unknown by all, was slowly dying. The two fated Souls both arrived in Zonder when they were 10 years old, only eight years ago.

-Helen came first, with her wish to kill the Immortal. Alles came second, with his wish to undo the destruction of his homeland. Both impossible, but could be done with the power of True Magic, the promise of any whose Soul wanders into the Dream World and masters it. Their story is long and complicated, with ups and downs, horror and revelations, and even the blossoming of young love.

-In short, Helen and Alles met with Death, the Lord of Zonder, and learned of their task: conquer Zonder, bring the eight pieces of Magic before Lord Death, and make their wish. So, the two went their separate ways, Alles journeying high and Helen journeying low. Alles fought the four Guardians: a Celestial Paladin, a Homunculus tinkerer, a Kitsune swordswoman from another Universe, and a Human soldier from a far-flung future. For you see, Zonder exists in the void, outside time and space, where anything is possible. Alles was not a fighter, but he knew how to explore and use his wisdom to talk his way through conflict. He made friends with the Guardians and learned to master the power of Magic. 

-Helen, instead, fought the four Horrors: Slayer, Ouroboros, Yeg the Defiler, and It. Helen was not wise, nor did she care for magic or learning. She butchered them and was stained black with their corrupt blood. Helen took her four shards of Magic, mad with corruption, and made her way to Lord Death. There, the two learned only one wish could be granted and Lord Death pit the two children in a fight to the death. Alles rejected this and fought the insane Helen until she regained her sanity. He then convinced her to join forces, put their shards of Magic together, and defeat Death itself.

-The battle was difficult and hard fought, but the two fated Souls, one of Light and one of Dark, overcame Death itself. With the power of Magic, they left Zonder to return to their bodies, promising that one day they would meet again. With the power of Magic reunited and freed, it spilled from Zonder and poured throughout time and space. Thus, Magic had always existed in the Universe and only Alles and Helen knew otherwise.

And that’s it for this installment! I’m going to have to postpone the next post for a day or so while I deal with real-life issues, but I’ll have ‘em up, so don’t worry!

Next time we’re talking about the King of Night, Vincent la Varr! Whoo, I’m excited to write that!

Here’s part 1 of this week’s monsterpost on Vampires and Slimes! I’ll be posting these one day at a time to give myself a little more time to finish writing and stuff. Here’s a portrait of the Duchess of the Jegra Highlands, Orchid Vericose. 

Let’s get into it!

About Vampires:

-Vampires are a race of humanoid monsters that hail from the Jegra Highlands, a hilly, mountainous region that sports rolling grassy knolls punctuated with jagged rocky cliffs. Scattered among the rocks are grand, lavish castles, some with modest hamlets and villages each populated by Vampires or their “cattle”.

-Like Devils, Vampires must hunt other living beings to survive. Unlike Devils, however, Vampires consume the blood of their victims, using specialized organs to process the blood and siphon the life essence from it, using the processed blood for body fluids. Their preferred prey are Humans from the World of Light, which they capture and enslave, turning them into mindless “cattle”, Humans who exist solely to serve their Vampire masters and give their blood freely to them. Most of the animosity between Devils and Vampires exists because of this competition for prey. Unlike Devils’ warm, fiery essence and erotic, sexual culture, Vampires are cold to the touch, solitary, quiet, contemplative, and often philosophical. Where you might find a Devil in the throes of lust in a brothel, a Vampire might steal away for a few hours in a library or museum.

-Vampires, in this universe, are not undead and are instead living creatures. Though they are immune to most diseases and age very slowly, they are not immortal and will eventually die of old age. The average lifespan of a Vampire is approximately 400 years, making them the second-longest living monster race after Black Slimes and Elder Vampires who are tied for longest living.

-Vampires procreate like any other living thing, giving live birth to usually only one child per pregnancy, though twins are an extremely rare possibility. Vampire children start as baby Vampires, with no fangs or any means to feed. They require their mother to feed them. Something a little gross here, but pregnant Vampire women lactate unprocessed blood from their nipples, rich in life essence and ready to feed their newborn children. This only lasts about a year or so before the children develop small baby fangs, allowing them to learn to feed on rodents and small animals and monsters. If they drink fresh blood regularly, Vampire children age like Human children do, reaching a puberty-like state where their permanent adult fangs grow in and they can start hunting on their own.

-Once a Vampire reaches the age of 16, they are considered an adult. What this means depends on the House they are from. Some Houses prefer to have their young adults go into the World of Light and hunt for their own cattle, while other Houses give a small number of starter cattle as a sign of their rights as an adult. It’s merely up to preference on the House’s part. An adult Vampire may choose to start their own House, but most stay in the safety and comfort of their birth House and learn the intricacies of Vampire politics there.

-Families and genealogy are very important to Vampires and their internal politics, with each family, or House, vying for land, resources, cattle, or in more recent times, closeness to the King. Generally, the oldest Houses are the most powerful and have the most resources, though recently Vampire politics has taken a shift as the most powerful House, House Vericose, is also the newest one. This mostly has to do with its founder, Julius Vericose, being born in the ancient House Gram, the second-most powerful House, having a deep connection to the Kingdom, and being granted many favors by the King. Many other Houses contest that, having been around for only a scant 25 years, House Vericose is doomed to fall into obscurity if their connection to the crown ever falters, but it is yet to be seen if this is only idle speculation or not.

-Vampires possess many powers and abilities which make them terrifying foes on the battlefield, and excellent predators of mankind. Vampires can fly at will, without the need for wings, by manipulation of the magic flux around them. They can teleport short distances, move faster than the eye can see, and possess incredible strength and toughness. Like Lycanthropes, Elder Vampires, and Demons, Vampires can regenerate any wound almost instantly. Vampires also possess the same illusion magic and mind manipulation that Devils do, allowing them to move about among Humans unrecognized. They can also abuse their thirst for blood and drain an opponent dry in minutes, killing them. Vampires don’t have any natural weapons and must rely on Human-made weapons to cut, pierce, or slice, but their studious nature, combined with their strength and agility, make them deadly fighters and swordsmen.

-However, their power is not without limit; if a Vampire takes too much damage, they can run out of blood, fail to regenerate, and die. This regenerative power also comes with it a potential fault: a rare genetic disease known as “Regeneration Sickness”, which causes the carrier to regenerate incorrectly, resulting in extreme pain as bones and organs grow in the wrong place. This condition requires constant surgery to treat, and most who have the condition die before they reach 200 years old. Vampires are also weak to fire magic and must make certain to stay far away from the Kingdom of Light when they hunt for cattle, lest they attract the attention of the Sunlight Scripture and their Celestial Paladins.

About Orchid:

-Orchid Vericose is the second-oldest child of Julius and Vivian Vericose, and at 18 years old, she is, in all rights, an adult Vampire. However, her body is stunted into a childish form due to her inability to drink Human blood. This is a penalty imposed upon her for her crime against her House: destruction of property. 

-When Orchid was 10 years old, her father gave her one of his own cattle, a desert tribeswoman from the World of Light, for her to learn to feed on Humans, giving her the ultimatum that if Orchid killed her, she would be forbidden from drinking Human blood until she was mature enough to have learned her lesson. Being young, hungry, and oblivious to how the world worked, Orchid satisfied her voracious thirst, accidentally drinking all of the cattle’s blood, killing the defenseless woman. Not knowing what she did, she tried desperately to revive the dead tribeswoman, but remained unsuccessful.

-When her father returned, he saw what Orchid had done, and punished her. This also marked when Orchid became the Duchess of Jegra, taking her mother’s title, as Vivian suffered from Regeneration Sickness and was too weak to leave their castle in the highlands. When the King of Night agreed to award the titles of Duke and Duchess to House Vericose, Julius saw this as an opportunity to teach his young, ill-mannered child the way of the world while keeping her punishment intact at the same time.

-By decree of the King of Night, Dukes and Duchesses must live at Court and are unable to leave the castle without special permission. This is how Julius saw to keep his daughter from drinking Human blood. As a young Duchess of 10 living at Court, Orchid’s life was hard. She needed to drink blood to survive, but had no cattle and was forbidden from drinking the blood of her fellow monsters, not that she even had the strength to do so. She eventually found her way to the waste tunnels beneath the dungeons, desperately searching for something, anything, to drink. She found rats. She fed on the rats. She cried.

-Growing up this way made her cold to others, snappy and sarcastic, with a cruel streak that led her to play pranks, spread rumors, and bully smaller monsters and animals. Around this time, a young Princess took interest in Orchid, following her, hiding in her shadow, and learning of her wounded and lonely heart. So, Helen reached out to Orchid and befriended her. After the two started playing and growing close, Orchid’s cruel streak dried up and her personality became less pointed, though she never lost her dark, sarcastic sense of humor. 

-As they grew up, Helen and Orchid became like sisters. Helen’s warm affection made Orchid’s punishment seem less difficult. Eventually, other girls their age became Duchesses and moved into Court, giving Orchid the chance to interact with other monsters on her own, gaining new friends and enemies, and overall growing as a person.

-Now, Helen, Orchid, Aiwa, and Luna (the Lycanthrope Duchess) form a group of friends who support each other and help pass the time as they grow into young women within the confines of the Court of Night, though Aiwa and Orchid have a longstanding rivalry and somewhat mutual distrust of each other, especially considering Orchid has a crush on Lemus, Aiwa’s brother.

Here’s part 2 of this week’s monsterpost on Vampires and Slimes. Above is a family portrait of House Vericose.

Back row, from left to right: Claude, Julius, and Aleister

Middle row, left to right: Vivian and Orchid

Front row, left to right: Lillim and Lily

This time around, I’m going to cover Vampire Houses, Politics, a little bit of History, and some extra bits and pieces of trivia. Let’s get to it!

About Vampire Houses:

-As was stated last post, the Vericose are the most politically powerful and influential Vampire House in Jegra, though they are also one of the smallest, consisting of one family of seven Vampires. Because of their small size and young nature, many Houses of varying influence seek to marry into House Vericose and either increase its size, spread its influence around several Houses, or absorb the small House into themselves. Julius, being quite the shrewd politician, knows of these schemes and uses his leverage to gain resources, land, and cattle in exchange for political favors or for his children’s hands in political marriages.

-There are hundreds of Houses of varying size, influence, and wealth. Besides the Vericose, the most important Houses are House Gram, the oldest House and the one with most cattle, land, and access to waygates; House Shatra, a moderately young House whose secret rituals, strict codes of conduct, and high price for marriage provide the most powerful and magically skilled Vampires in the World; House Fritta, another old House whose elaborate trade and information networks ensure they are the wealthiest, in terms of money, and the most well-informed House; and House Boreaux, a family of skilled hunters whose collection of cattle, while not the largest, contains members of aristocracy and royalty from the Kingdom of Light, whose blood is considered priceless and the greatest in all the Worlds, for the blood of Light royalty has both exquisite taste and the power to protect the drinker from the Kingdom’s Heliosphere, which robs any monster of their power and slowly kills them.

-House Vericose holds authority over these Great Houses for the simple fact that they are the closest to the Kingdom of Night’s Royal Family, have the ear of the King, and their members hold the titles of Duke and Duchess of Jegra, effectively making Julius the governor of Jegra and giving him the last word on any decisions made in the Highlands. As one can image, this fact infuriates the other Houses, though they rage in impotence. Assassinating Julius would be treason against the crown and his wife, Vivian, was a member of House Shatra and considered a beloved hero among Vampires. This also means Vivian’s children share her Shatra genealogy, an extremely valuable bloodline, rarely seen outside the secretive family. Thus, their children are sought after for marriage, a fact Julius knows well and uses to his advantage.

About Vampire politics:

-Each House generally tends to take care of itself, though many Houses choose to side with one of four factions, each headed and controlled by one the the four Great Houses: Gram, Shatra, Fritta, or Boreaux. House Vericose is considered an independent House, though they have deep ties with House Gram.

-Members of each political faction tend to take after the head family of that faction, working for the Great House to gain favors, money, or cattle. Members of the Gram faction tend to work as land surveyors and adventurers, scouting land that had once been the territory of other monster races, but has since become free after the genocide of the Second Crusade. Members of the Fritta faction work as merchants, mercenaries, spies, or muscle for caravans and are paid in gems, conveniently the currency of both the World of Dark and the World of Light, with which they buy land, cattle, weapons, or other resources. Members of the Boreaux faction work as hunters, scouts, and assassins, capturing targets of particular value for ransom or to be made into cattle. Some Boreaux hunters even make money as assassins and fighters in the World of Light, if their employer doesn't know (or doesn't care) about their Vampire background. The Shatra faction is special. Members of this faction must undergo intense training and study in magic, religion, history, and art, and pass rigorous examinations by Shatra sages in order to be considered for entry into the family. Failures or drop-outs can still get by, making art, writing literature and poetry, and can become bards in service of the Great Houses, or become independent mages.

-Members of different factions generally don’t get along well with each other, though it never really comes to blows. Different factions merely offer different life choices and methods to move up in Vampire society and some families prefer to live “traditionally”, building their castles on free land, hunting for their own cattle, and making trades or working as independent agents to make money. Some even prefer to live in the World of Light, taking the form of a normal Human, not having a home or cattle, and just living off the blood of their victims, disappearing into the shadows like a ghost at the slightest sign of trouble.

-There is a growing number of Vampires who are dissatisfied with the “tyranny” of the upstart Vericose, working with sympathizers of each faction in order to plot against and subvert the control that Julius has on the Jegra Highlands. Nothing has come of it yet, but rumors say Julius is not long for this World and not even the King can protect him.

About the Vericose Family:

-Julius was born into House Gram as a middle child in one of the tertiary families, far away from political influence and destined to inherit nothing. Growing up, he wasn't particularly attractive, strong, fast, or magically inclined. However, he had his wits and soon learned to manipulate others into getting what he wanted. During the First Crusade, he enlisted in the Army of Darkness as a scout and surveyed many battles, from little skirmishes between Human Crusaders and small monster forces, to legendary, decisive battles between beings that wielded the power of gods. In his career, he saw Rahovart the Undying slay 50 men with a single swing of his halberd; he witnessed the Rout of Ceren Canyon, where three Celestial Paladins slaughtered thousands of monsters with their dark-slaying Fused Light swords; and he trembled at the majesty of the first King of Night when a Primordial Darkness was drawn across the Plains of Ugain, snuffing out the lives of over a hundred-thousand men in an instant. Julius also saw the hero of Jegra, Vivian Shatra, fighting desperately to secure a retreat from the advancing Celestial forces. He saw her grit, determination, and he was enamored by the mysterious power she wielded. He did not forget her. 

-Eventually, the First Crusade had drawn to a close, the invaders retreated to the waygates, and those who served were heroes among their peers, including Julius, whose direct line of communication to the generals of the Army about the state of current battles led to life-saving retreats, reinforcements, and victory where it counted. Though not as highly decorated as the others, his connection to the generals and higher-ups of the fledgling Kingdom of Night gave him ample opportunity to get close to the King. Using his influence, he began carving out a name for himself in the acquisition of newly-freed land for House Gram, earning himself a large fortune, which he hoarded, waiting for the perfect time to spend it. In time, the first King of Night fell in battle. Without a challenge to the throne, his son became the second King. Julius consoled and advised the young King, growing closer still to the crown and the Royal family, become like an uncle of sorts. With his influence, he began buying large portions of land, procuring resources to build a hamlet for his newly purchased Boreaux cattle, materials for a grand castle to rival the Great Houses, and looking for a woman of high pedigree to bear his children so he could see his dream become reality: to build a Vampire House greater than all others.

-His wish was very close to coming true when he caught the attention of Charlotte la Varr, an Elder Vampire and Princess of All Monsters, who agreed to be his wife. Before they could consummate the marriage, however, Charlotte was murdered during the bloody coup of Vincent la Varr, middle child of the Royal Family, who rose to power by killing every other member of his family and challenging his father to a duel. Vincent defeated his father in combat, taking the crown and becoming the new King of Night and last living Elder Vampire. Enraged at his dream being snatched from him at the last minute, Julius confronted Vincent, demanding reparations for his loss at the hands of the King. Surprisingly, Vincent agreed, feeling deep guilt at the death of his sister, and made a deal with House Shatra to make an exception to their strict rules of marriage and offer an eligible bachelorette to Julius as an apology.

-House Shatra reluctantly agreed to the King’s demand, but they had two conditions: one, the bachelorette had to agree to be married, the family would not force the woman to break the sacred laws of their House, and two, whoever agreed to be married to Julius would be disowned from House Shatra, losing their claim to any inheritance, property, or privileges that they would otherwise have. Even with these stipulations, many eligible Shatra women were quick to offer their hands in marriage to Julius, knowing of his vast fortune, great castle, exquisite selection of cattle, and mounting political influence. Julius courted many, but one caught his eye: the hero, Vivian Shatra. Julius knew of her power, her beauty, and her accomplishments during the Crusade. They were married soon after their first meeting and had quite a few children since then.

-Vivian was born into House Shatra, the second daughter of the primary family, giving her a vast amount of wealth, privilege, and magical power. Growing up as a Shatra is, nonetheless, hard, a child of the primary family moreso. A strict diet of a small amount of high-quality blood is upheld, along with daily religious rituals, meditations, fasting, rigorous study in almost every subject, both arcane and mundane, magic training under the eye of the sages, and many other required practices. Children of the Shatra primary family also undergo “stress training”, where they are subjected to beatings, stabbings, mutilations, torture, and mental anguish at the hands of the sages. Being Vampires, they can regenerate from this violence, but the stress of being hungry for blood in addition to this training causes their innate powers to develop at an accelerated rate.

-Vivian spent much her her time starving for blood. Vampires who go without human blood for large periods of time become very pale, almost porcelain in skin tone, and grow colder in temperature in relation to their maximum magical power. This is how the sages can measure the growth of their pupils. If one can freeze a glass of water by touching it, they can be considered to have a sufficiently large mana pool. Vivian, on the other hand, could freeze the walls, floors, and even the air of any room she walked through. Living her life in constant cold crystallized the very Concept of “Cold” within her Soul. She was considered a prodigy and an example for other Shatra children to strive for.

-She grew into a fine young woman, having taken her stress training and academic study in stride, even becoming an extremely skilled sorcerer and wise scholar. Unable to continue her training within the confines of Castle Shatra, the House permitted her to join the newly formed Army of Darkness to combat the Crusaders, seeing her as a valuable asset. During her career, she fought in many battles, turning the tides each time, but suffering wounds, loss, and seeing the horrors of war.

-Her time in battle further stressed her mind and body, honing her Soul and pushing her beyond her already impressive limits. This evolution in her spirit came to a head when her platoon was caught off-guard by a Crusader ambush, including two Celestials. The battle raged and Vivian eventually ran out of mana. Desperate to let her wounded comrades retreat in safety, she stood alone against the holy warriors. She pleaded herself for more power, dipped deep within herself, sinking even further down until she touched something beyond her Soul. A connection to something greater was there, only hinted at in the religious texts she had studied. Ignoring her fight and the world around her, time seemed to slow down as she grasped at this “beyond” with her Soul.

-She could feel her connection the Universe growing, feel the pulsing of the Primordial Dark beneath her feet, feel the painful radiance of Primordial Light somewhere beyond the veil of space, and she could feel a sensation of presence and non-presence at once. A singular existence which permeated all things. Her fragile mind, body, and Soul could not contain this sensation. As she grew closer to this presence, she reached out to it, trying to grab on to something, anything, but her grasp slipped. She could not contain what she did not understand. Trying again, she managed to grab hold of one small fragment of the greater whole, a fragment which she had in her all along. A fragment which she immediately recognized as part of herself. She hadn't grabbed something from beyond as much as she realized part of herself existed as part of the Universe as well. She realized she and the Universe were One, though she could only hold onto one tiny fragment of the Greater Whole. The tiny fragment she Realized was the Concept of “Cold”.

-When she came to, time had only progressed a second, but the Celestials were at her throat. Luckily, they didn't seem to be important enough to have Fused Light swords, leaving her monster powers intact. She decided to see if what she experienced was true. Raising a hand to one Celestial, she froze her solid in an instant, without expending mana. Surprised, the other Celestial used her impressive speed to circle around Vivian, going for a flanking backstab. However, Vivian could feel her presence. Focusing on it, she mentally commanded the Celestial to be frozen, and she was. Her comrades had retreated, and Vivian became a hero overnight. “The Slayer of Celestials”, “Bringer of Ice”, they called her. When the Crusade was done, she went back to her home at Castle Shatra, looking to explore her new powers, but she learned that she was expected to become a sage and raise the next generation of Shatra children.

-Soon, Vivian heard of an interesting development. One of the wealthiest Vampires in Jegra, Julius Gram, was looking for a wife. House Shatra announced their agreement with the King, as well as their conditions, to all eligible Shatra women. Vivian jumped at the chance to leave her restrictive House, join a new one, and raise a family the way she wanted to. Soon, she and Julius were married, founding their new House, taking the name “Vericose”, and begun having children.

-After the birth of their last children, extremely rare twins Lily and Lillim, Vivian began feeling weakened. Having left House Shatra and their strict rules, she had begun feeding on as much blood as she cared for, but her skin remained porcelain white. In addition, her pregnancy had taken a great toll on her strength when it wasn't supposed to, and her wounds weren't healing right. Soon, she began feeling great pains throughout her body. Having many Vampire sages examine her, none could determine what was the matter. Some said she was cursed, other said she had been wounded by Celestial’s holy magic. Regardless, none could determine a cause and, thus, a treatment.

-Absolutely desperate, she heard of the return of the Princess some years ago from some faraway land called “Zonder”, and heard of the wonders that lay there. Vivian contacted the Princess, urging her to help her find a cure for her illness. Helen used a waygate to travel to Zonder, returning with some strange, box-headed aliens. Bringing the aliens to the newly build Castle Vericose, the aliens examined her and told her she had “Regeneration Sickness”, which would kill her if they didn't perform “surgery” immediately. Not knowing what this entailed, she agreed and the Blockheads went to work, removing large portions of excess bones, organs, cartilage, and tumors from her body. The Blockheads monitored her condition, performing more surgeries when her wounds didn't heal correctly, and continue to treat her to this day. Not wanting to attract suspicion, Vivian and Julius had Princess Helen promise to never tell anyone about Vivian’s sickness or about the existence of the Blockheads in Jegra. Helen agreed and left the Blockheads in the care of the Vericose.

-Aleister Vericose is the oldest child of Julius and Vivian Vericose. Growing up, his mother was doting and very loving, if cold to the touch, and his father was strict. Wanting his heir to be strong and successful, Julius hired the best tutors for every subject under the moon and the most prolific Vampire instructors in combat. Aleister took his studies well, learning the blade, and favoring religion and philosophy. When he turned 16 and became a man, his father enlisted him in the Army of Darkness, which was currently fighting the Second Crusade. Aleister was a great soldier, using his Vampire powers well, but he was terrible with other monsters, staying silent, working alone, and not making many friends. With his good looks, fighting prowess, and wealthy upbringing, he received many gifts from young ladies during each Ceremony of Favors, though he generally didn't have much to say about it. Aleister’s studies and training gave him a vast insight into strategy and tactics, preferring to use his mind over his blade on the battlefield. This got him the nickname “Scholar of the Battlefield”, which was originally meant to be an insult, but, ironically, caught the attention of the generals of the Army. Aleister was asked if he would like to study to become a general, to which he agreed. After the Second Crusade ended, Aleister’s studies were concluded and he received the title of general from the King of Night.

-Aleister lives in the Castle of Night, at Court, with his sister Orchid, whom he acts as a silent protector. Rarely do the two siblings interact, though, because of Aleister’s shyness and solitary attitude, and Orchid’s insistence to “hang out with girls her age”. Many young women (and some men) have fallen for Aleister, being handsome, and being an important general, but his shyness constantly puts off potential suitors, leaving him single. Aleister’s greatest rival is Lemus, the Duke of Ghennum, who he sees as giving a bad name to monsterkind, shaming the honor of his title with his scheming to overthrow the King, and his seduction of many young Duchesses, including Orchid.

-Orchid Vericose is the second child of Julius and Vivian. You know her story. If you don’t, you should have really read the post before this one.

-Claude Vericose is the third child of Julius and Vivian. Being the young age of 12 years old, he is not yet a man. Like his brother, he is tutored in many subjects, though instead of learning the blade, Claude has professed to prefer studying sorcery and using magic to fight, to which his mother was very thrilled. 

-In his spare time, Claude voraciously reads texts and manuals from the World of Light, learning “science” and the art of flux-powered machinery. Sharing this passion with the Princess, he regularly writes her letters, asking about different books she’s read, what machine parts and devices she tinkers with and so on. Helen even sends him her old books and pieces of machines she’s given up on. 

-From his hobby and his letters from the Princess, Claude has learned much of the World of Light, its Kingdom’s culture and technology, and its heroes. In particular is Alles de Lemurios, the Scholar of Light, the Supreme Sorcerer, and the master of Cosmic Magic. Claude loves the stories of Alles’ travels throughout the Spaceways of the Void, his trials, and his struggle. Knowing that Helen is friends with Alles, and that his hero visits the Castle of Night often, fills Claude with excitement, jealousy, and determination. His dream is to meet Alles, become his apprentice in Cosmic Magic, and explore the Void. Claude has even styled his hair like his hero, hoping to flatter him when they finally meet.

-Lilly and Lillim are the last children of Julius and Vivian. Being twins makes their existence extremely rare among Vampires, with the last pair of twins being born over 100 years ago. This gives the twins an extra ability that normal Vampires lack: telepathy. Right now, the two can only speak short sentences to each other, though they have spoken to their mother with their thoughts as well. When they grow up, this power is to be explored, but for now they prefer to just play and learn to feed with their new fangs.

Well, that’s it for this installment! Sorry for the length, but I needed to cover some more stuff before the next monster race we get to. Up next is Slimes, then Liches, then Elder Vampires! We’re almost done with the World of Dark (at least the main monster races that make up the Kingdom). Once were done with these and some generalized world-building, we’re moving over to the World of Light. I’m pretty hyped.